1. Filed of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for forming a polymer image by forming a portion comprising a polymer imagewise on a photosensitive member containing a polymerizable composition, and a device for forming a visible image from the above-mentioned polymer image.
2. Related Background Art
Polymer image is an important image for formation of a color image, because difference is created between the image portion and the non-image portion in such physical properties such as wettability, tackiness, etc. depending on the difference in polymerization degree, crosslinking degree, etc.
A large number of methods have been known for formation of polymer images. Generally speaking, by use of a mask of a silver salt or a metal for formation of a print plate, photoesist, etc., a polymer image is formed by photopolymerization by use of a light source with great light intensity such as mercury lamp, etc.
However, these methods which employ a silver salt or metal mask not only require complicated steps such as wet process treatment, etc., but also involve the drawback that the device will become a large scale when formed into an integrated type.
Various attempts have been made to simplify these methods to effect completely dry process treatments. For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 61-75342, 55-50246, and Japanese Patent Application No. 62-17155 (U.S. Ser. No. 302,270), a photosensitive material comprising at least a photosensitive silver halide, an organic silver salt, a reducing agent, a polymerization composition precursor, etc. is exposed and then subjected to the reaction by application of heat. By doing so, after the substances formed, disappeared or decomposed and endowed with polymerization inhibiting ability or light-shielding effect, polymerization and crosslinking reaction are caused to occur by light, thereby forming a polymer image.
As described above, attempts to form a polymer image by use of photopolymerization reaction are free from complicated reactions such as competitive reaction, etc. as in thermal polymerization reaction, because the steps involved do not permit a plurality of chemical reactions to proceed at the same time, but in other words, the respective steps are performed for the respective chemical reactions, whereby the respective conditions can be controlled easily. Also, there are such advantages that the resolution of the image itself is good and that the contrast is improved, etc.